Luther and Lutheranism

Martin Luther was eight years old when Christopher Columbus set sail from Europe and landed in the Western Hemisphere. Luther was a young monk and priest when Michaelangelo was painting the Sistine Chapel in Rome...

ELCA Good Gifts Catalog

Assignment Process

Assignment completes candidacy for all people, including those ordained in another Lutheran church or Christian tradition, moving them toward first call and admittance to the appropriate roster in the ELCA...

Joint Observance

The ELCA Conference of Bishops' Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Liaison Committee and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs Committee commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation by signing a joint statement during a Lutheran-Catholic service of Common Prayer.

Reformation 500

Martin Luther posted his “Ninety-Five Theses” in Wittenberg on Oct. 31, 1517, and the resulting debate about Christian teaching and practice led to changes that have shaped the course of Western Christianity for almost 500 years.

FAQs

What is The Campaign for the ELCA, and how are the fundraising goals different from the fundraising the ELCA had been doing before?

The Campaign for the ELCA is the first campaign of its kind for the ELCA. It’s our opportunity to make a real and lasting impact on a scale and scope that is unprecedented for our church. The nearly $200 million goal represents a 64 percent overall increase in designated funding for ELCA ministries over the next five years. The campaign is designed to:

Grow our communities of faith

Form and support new leaders

Welcome our neighbors, and serve those in need

Confront disease, hunger and poverty -- at home and worldwide

Spread the good news of Jesus Christ, working alongside our global companions

Which ministries make up the $198 million goal?

Gifts to the following ministries count toward the $198 million goal of the campaign:

Renewing Congregations, goal: $8 million

ELCA New Congregations, goal: $4 million

Disability Ministries, goal: $4 million

ELCA Fund for Leaders, goal: $15 million

Youth and Young Adults, goal: $4 million

ELCA World Hunger, goal: $115 million

ELCA Malaria Campaign, goal: $15 million (goal met!)

Missionaries and Young Adults in Global Mission, goal: $22 million

Global Ministries, goal: $7 million

International Women Leaders, goal: $4 million

Donors may also choose to make an undesignated gift to be used where needed most among the campaign priorities above.

If I designate my gift to one of the areas mentioned above, will my designation be honored?

Yes! Your gifts will benefit the campaign priorities of your choice, even if the funding goals associated with your designation have been met. The needs extend beyond the income goals.

How were these goal amounts determined?

The fundraising goals for the campaign priorities begin with commitments we have already made together. Many of our programs –such as ELCA World Hunger and the ELCA Fund for Leaders– already have the directive to raise a certain level of designated funds for ministry each year. The campaign increases the overall funding goals for each of these ministries, based upon need, strategic priority and capacity (available staff support, historic giving trends, the size of the donor base, major gift prospects, etc.). Ministries with little-to-no fundraising history, such as renewing congregations and global ministries, generally have smaller goals. Two priorities and their associated financial goals, Disability Ministries and Youth and Young Adults, were added and approved by voting members of the 2013 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.

Why is Lutheran Disaster Response not included in the campaign?

Lutheran Disaster Response is not included in the campaign because we cannot set a five-year fundraising goal that anticipates disasters and emergency situations. However, we will continue to respond and extend opportunities for our members to give support when a disaster occurs in order to help people rebuild their lives and livelihoods.

What about planned gifts? Do they count toward the campaign goals?

The $198 million goal is based on current, not planned, gifts. That being said, planned gift commitments will continue to be welcomed and encouraged during the campaign and will help sustain ministries long beyond the next five years. Any planned gifts that are realized during the five-year campaign will count toward campaign goals and those that are not realized or paid out during this period will be reported and celebrated, but not counted as income toward the $198 million goal.

When does TheCampaign for the ELCA officially start and end?

This is a five-year campaign that runs from Feb. 1, 2014, through Jan. 31, 2019. The impact of the campaign will be felt for many years into the future.

Why now?

The campaign emerged over several years of thinking, planning and discernment with a cross-section of ELCA members and leaders across the church, especially following the 2011 Churchwide Assembly’s recommendation to explore opportunities to grow current support for our shared ministries. An earlier proposal and plan for an anniversary campaign was deferred in 2008 due to the economic recession.

Our 25th anniversary in 2013 provided a momentous opportunity for us to reflect upon our first quarter-century together as the ELCA. While we celebrate what we have accomplished together, we also realize that now is our time to do more. The needs of the world are great and the campaign is our chance to respond with a living, daring confidence in God’s grace.

How can I help?

All expressions of the church and each of us as individual members have a role to play in making this campaign a success. In the coming months, we’ll keep you in the loop as we develop new materials and resources to help bring this opportunity to members. Continue to check www.ELCA.org/campaign for details. Here are other ways to help right now:

Get the campaign off to a strong start with an initial gift. Prayerfully consider how you might go beyond the ordinary and support these ministries at increased levels of giving over the next five years and invite others to do the same. Give online at www.ELCA.org/campaign.

Raise awareness of the campaign in your faith community by sharing the campaign video or other resources with your community of faith. Find downloadable resources at www.ELCA.org/campaign.

Is there a hashtag for the campaign?

The hashtag for both Facebook and Twitter is #ELCACampaign.

How is Bishop Eaton involved in the campaign?

Bishop Eaton is leading our church in this historic effort with our members and global partners, providing inspiration and guidance for the work of the campaign.

How was Disability Ministries chosen as a new area of ministry? How are we defining disabilities and what new programs will be developed?

Disability Ministries, along with Youth and Young Adult Ministries, was added and approved by voting members of the 2013 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. There is a great amount of excitement around this new work and ELCA members are eager to lend support. Mission Advancement is working closely with the Domestic Mission unit to develop a sustainable and impactful program that gifts for this area of the campaign will support.

What is the distinction between Mission Support and The Campaign for the ELCA?

Mission support is a percentage of your congregation’s weekly offering that is shared with the synod and the churchwide organization. These gifts are used where the priority is greatest and also make it possible for your synod and the ELCA’s churchwide organization to keep ongoing commitments to local and worldwide ministry partners. Some Mission Support funds may return to your congregation or synod in the form of grants, services, programs and resources.

Mission Support is one way we act as a church together; we count on one another for the mutual work that Mission Support makes possible. However, many ELCA members are called to give in other ways as well, and this is what the campaign offers. The campaign is a way for members to make designated gifts to those ministries they are most passionate about, above and beyond weekly offerings through the congregation. These gifts provide direct support to the ELCA churchwide ministries that mean the most to each member. Campaign gifts are directed to the ministry priority of that individual’s choice, and are tracked and spent separately from the Mission Support budget.

What happens after the campaign is over?

Through this campaign we will not only fund the specific ministry priorities but also build a strong base of current and planned gifts, endowment and a broader base of donors who value and are committed to the work of the ELCA and a vibrant culture of stewardship. This will allow us to achieve a higher level of giving that the ELCA in all its expressions will be able to sustain far into the future.

This is Christ's church.

There is a place for you here.

We are the church that shares a living, daring confidence in God's grace. Liberated by our faith, we embrace you as a whole person--questions, complexities and all. Join us as we do God's work in Christ's name for the life of the world.